Emu farming for meat, oil, and leather is practiced in Australia, North America, and India. As a ratite species with strong behavioral needs, emu welfare in farming systems deserves careful attention.
Emus are not domesticated in the way that chickens or pigs are, retaining strong wild behavioral drives. Their welfare needs in farming systems are poorly understood compared to conventional livestock. Farmed emus benefit from large paddock areas with shelter, environmental complexity, and social grouping that allows species-typical behavior. The emu farming industry lacks the regulatory framework and welfare research that other species have. As consumer interest in alternative proteins and animal-derived products grows, establishing welfare standards before the industry scales is important.